ePRO Dimmer
Operator Manual V3.0
4
press again and hold. The display will then
indicate “”b-2” (Bank number 2) and then it will
display channel “13”. Repeat this step to move to
the next bank. To move the start address
backwards in groups of 12, repeat the instructions
above using the decrement button.
Once the DMX512 Address has been set, this will
be stored in the dimmer’s memory. (Note: The
DMX512 address will only be committed to
memory approximately 5 seconds after the last
address change.) If the dimmer is powered down
and then powered back up, the dimmer will
resume at its last known DMX512 setting.
The Data Indicators show the exact status of the
DMX512 signal as it is seen by the dimmer.
When the DMX512 connector is plugged into the
dimmer and signal is being received, the green
data LED will glow to indicate good data being
received by the dimmer. When valid DMX data is
temporarily lost, the data LED will flash. If bad
data is being received, the red LED will glow. In
some instances, the green and red LEDs will
intermittently come on and off. This indicates that
the data being received is “dirty”, in that it is
sometimes valid and then becomes invalid.
If a DMX512 input is connected and no LEDs are
on, this can indicate two things. The first is that the
transmitting device has ceased transmitting and
the second could mean that the signal is no longer
reaching the dimmer due to a fault up line. In both
cases, the dimmers will sense the loss of signal
and then hold the last known DMX512 state that it
received, until the DMX512 data stream is
restored or until the dimmer is powered down.
3.3 Test Function
3.3.1 Driving Channels
A very useful feature found on most LSC dimmers
is the ability to individually or group select
channels and drive the outputs from 0 to 100%,
without a control device being connected. This is
particularly useful when doing onstage focussing,
pre-heating of lamps or general dimmer testing.
To activate, press the Mode Select Button until the
“Channel” LED illuminates. Press the Scroll
Buttons until the desired channel is reached. The
corresponding channel number will be displayed in
the Status Display. At this stage all channels can
be activated by pressing the increment Scroll
Button once quickly and then pressing and holding
until “ALL” is displayed. The “ALL” mode will stay
active until either the increment or decrement
Scroll Button is pressed. Press the Mode Select
Button to move the function to “% Drive”. Again
use the Scroll Buttons to adjust the channel(s)
output level. The output is displayed as a
percentage of the total output, where “60” is 60%
of the output. To adjust another channel, repeat
this process by pressing the Mode Select Button
to “Channel” and selecting the next channel. If
loads are not to be driven during this stage, they
can be isolated by switching the channel MCB off.
The Scroll Buttons can be used to scroll quickly
through the “Channel” and “% Drive” levels by
either of two methods:
Pressing and holding down the increment or
decrement button will move the channel number
or output level by a rate that begins slowly and
then speeds up.
Pressing the increment or decrement button once
quickly and then pressing and holding will snap
the output level to either its maximum or minimum
setting.
3.3.2 Chase Test Mode
Another useful test feature is the ability to set the
dimmer to sequentially fade through all its
channels. In essence, it appears as a single
channel chase that fades each channel up and
then down. To activate this, select “Channel” on
the Mode Selection Button and then press both
Scroll Buttons for less than two seconds and
release. The Status Display will show the last
known channel number entry and will then
automatically scroll through the channels. The
“Channel” LED will pulse to indicate that the
dimmer is in this chase test mode. The output
level will default to zero, however pressing the
Mode Selection Button will activate the ”% Drive”
mode. Use the Scroll Buttons to adjust and set the
output level. Press either one of the Scroll Buttons
to stop the chase and subsequent presses will
increment or decrement the channels. To resume
the chase, press both Scroll Buttons quickly.
3.3.3 Pre-Heat
Prior to a show’s performance, it is highly
recommended to pre-heat the filaments in the
fixtures to prevent sudden thermal shock to the
lamp, thus reducing the possibility of damage or
shortened lamp life. To activate the pre-heat
function select “ALL” on “Channel” mode and then
drive the outputs to around 8 to 10%. This level
should allow sufficient current through the filament
to glow slightly, but not produce any noticeable
light output on the stage. To set a permanent pre-
heat, refer to Scene Storage section to create a
scene that will activate when the dimmer is
powered up.
Two things to consider while in the Test Function
mode. If a DMX512 controller is connected to the
dimmer and begins to transmit, the incoming
signal will work on a HTP (Highest Takes
Precedence) basis with anything that is set on the
dimmer’s control panel. That is, if the dimmer is
currently set for pre-heat at 10% and the incoming
signal has channel data greater than 10%, then
the dimmer will output the higher value. Likewise,
if the incoming signal drops to 0%, then the output
will be at 10%, the pre-heat level. Secondly, if
power to the dimmer drops out and is then